South Korea halted its adoption fraud investigation. Adoptees still demand the truth

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Chairperson Park Sun Young (right) comforts adoptee Yooree Kim during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, March 26. Ahn Young-joon/AP hide caption toggle caption Ahn Young-joon/AP SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s government investigation into human rights violations in past international adoptions, which led to a landmark admission of government responsibility in March, has ground to a halt. Adoptees and advocates are blaming the politicization and lack of understanding within the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the government body leading the investigation. South Korea is one of the leading countries that sends children abroad for adoption. According to official data, nearly 170,000 babies have been adopted from South Korea since 1955, while experts suspect the actual number is higher. Sixty-five percent of them went to the United States. Sponsor Message Asia South Korea sets up a Truth and Reconciliation commission to investigate adoptions South Korea sets up a Truth and Reconciliation commission to investigate adoptions Listen · 6:56 6:56 Transcript Download